A HUGE and ambitious ‘masterplan’ to transform the city has been revealed.

The City Centre Masterplan sets out a vision for huge developments across Worcester and would see more than 8,000 jobs created and 3,000 homes built by 2040.

The masterplan imagines the formation of four quarters in the city – Riverside, City Heart, Canalside and Shrub Hill – all with a mixture of new homes, offices, restaurants, bars and shops.

Supported by the leaders of the city’s council’s three political parties, the Conservative’s Councillor Marc Bayliss, Labour’s Councillor Adrian Gregson and the Green’s Councillor Louis Stephen, the vast plans should provide a £385 million-a-year boost to the city’s economy.

They said: “Our aim is to create a successful and growing cathedral and university city, with more homes, businesses and jobs; a city with prestige tourist, education and retail attractions; and a place that maintains its ‘city in the country’ feel, its valued heritage assets and environmental quality.”

When adopted, the city’s historic Shrub Hill area would be completely renovated into a business district with high-quality offices and new parking.

The hope is for Elgar House to be demolished to make way for a brand new ‘gateway’ plaza at Shrub Hill train station.

A new walkway alongside the railway arches would connect Foregate Street with the Riverside and the Hive.

The council also has huge plans for the city’s underused riverside with the hope of transforming it into an international tourist destination.

The riverside would become one straight park and alongside it a new four-star hotel as well as restaurants, bars and offices would be built.

A brand new snaking walkway alongside the river would be built through one of Worcester Bridge’s arches as part of improvements to pedestrian and cycle routes across the bridge and two new cycle routes would be built.

The city centre would be strengthened with more shops, restaurants and bars as part of a complete reshaping of Crowngate Shopping Centre and Friary Walk and an extension of Cathedral Square.

Worcester’s canals are not left out in the plan, with new houses overlooking the city’s often-forgotten waterways and improved paths and cycle routes proposed.

Car parking in the city would be overhauled with Copenhagen Street car park turned into a mix of flats and leisure facilities and new multi-storey car parks would be built in King Street, Croft Road, Carden Street, Sherriff Street and Shrub Hill.

The draft plan was produced by Worcester City Council and Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with city businesses, landowners, the city’s school and colleges, the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council.

An extensive questionnaire on Worcester city centre is now available online as part of consultation on the plans.

You have until 5pm on Wednesday, November 7 to have your say on how Worcester will look in the next 20 years.